Forcing migrants back to Libya ‘is an atrocity’ - Graffitti

Moviment Graffitti has condemned the rescue mission that resulted in immigrants being sent back to Libya, declaring the AFM’s claim that the immigrants were taken back voluntarily as “simply ridiculous, and cannot in any way be believed.”

The left-wing group called for an independent investigation to ascertain what really happened.

“After speaking to immigrants who were on this boat, it becomes clear that the immigrants were first lied to when they were told that they would be taken to Italy by what was in fact a Libyan patrol boat, and when they realised this, they were threatened of being left to drown if they didn't get on the Libyan patrol boat,” spokesperson Andre Callus said.

“Those who had already climbed onto the patrol boat tried to jump off-board, which resulted in a lot of trouble aboard the boat. It was only at this point that the Maltese Army had no choice but to take the immigrants remaining on the dinghy on its patrol boat. In this incident families ended up being separated, with some members ending up in Libya and some in Malta.”

Callus said that “surely the immigrants’ version of events is much more credible than the army’s. This is because no immigrant would actually want to go back to Libya voluntarily.”

Callus added that it was astonishing to hear Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi’s claim that he is sure they will be treated well in Libya. “At this point the Prime Minister is obliged to say how he is so convinced, when all the reports made by international organisations and institutions show that immigrants in Libya are imprisoned arbitrarily where they suffer horrible abuses like torture and rape, or they are left to die in the middle of the desert.”